can't activate resident protection - 2009

I already followed the instructions in the posts on this topic from a long time ago - uninstall (completely), re-install Avast. But I still can’t get resident protection to “stay” on. I can change the setting, but it then reverts to “disabled”. This is a Dell laptop running XP pro, sp2. On my other two computers (both XP also) I don’t have this problem. TIA.

Hi rossihockey, welcome to the forum.
Did you have any other AV on this system at any stage before Avast?
Did you run the Avast uninstall utility as part of the reinstall?
Has the computer shown any sign of an infection?
What other security applications are running?
Any reason you haven’t updated to SP3?

Tarq57, my mistake, it is sp3. Before Avast was McAfee. Yes, ran uninstall utility. Yes, recent infections, rooted out by actually running Avast, but it obviously didn’t catch them coming in. No other security aps running. I should probably put in an anti-spyware ap. Thanks!

I’d recommend installing and scanning with MBAM.
Please post the scan report.
Do you have the Windows firewall turned on, or another firewall active?

Tarq57, MBAM found TONS of junk - trojans, worms, you name it. I didn’t copy the report to post because it was so long. However, when it restarted the computer, Avast just started right up with no input from me at all. I can’t thank you enough!! By the way, I have windows firewall up and nothing more. So that you don’t think I’m just a moron, this is actually my wife’s computer, and one day it just decided that Avast needed a password. Well, we couldn’t figure it out and she kept using it because we hadn’t realized that the resident protection wasn’t there anymore.

MBAM made considerable changes to the registry. I’ll report back here if anything turns up strange.

Thanks again!

Very most good.

I’d now recommend a general cleaning procedure. This one by Tech, (knowledgeable user here) should cover all the bases.
Even doing a few of the steps in the recommendations should reveal if there is anything else needing attention.

Any more info needed, or problems, just post right back.